The Royals have already knocked out Liverpool and Howard knows they're a game away from taking the fans to Wembley for an FA Cup semifinal.

Howard told the Daily Mail: "I want to make sure the lads at Reading know how close they are to getting to go play at Wembley.

"If we can turn Villa over it will really hit the town. A Cup run doesn't just help the players, it really helps the town, picks up the place. The atmosphere last Saturday against Sheffield Wednesday was a buzz even before we scored, after what we had done in the midweek replay at West Bromwich Albion.

"A lot of people say the FA Cup is dying, but it's been brilliant for me."